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Your Bible IQ: Find Out Now— What You Don’t Know

Replica image of John Wycliffe, the Bible reformer who worked to make Scripture accessible to ordinary people, highlighting the contrast with today’s low Bible IQ Score.
Replica of John Wycliffe, the 14th-century reformer who helped bring the Bible to the people — a legacy that contrasts sharply with today’s declining Bible IQ Score.

Increase Your Bible IQ Score: Discover Now Your Literacy

Discover your Bible IQ Score. Find the surprising gap in your Bible knowledge. Level up Bible IQ Score and know the truths about death and your reward on earth.

Read The Book People Died To Print 

What is your Bible IQ Score? Think about that question honestly. Why is it that so many people own a Bible, yet rarely read it, and even fewer truly understand its core teachings? This widespread phenomenon suggests a critical gap between ownership and comprehension. Indeed, this powerful book, the foundation of Western morality and law, often remains the most revered and least understood text on the planet.

Many people respect the Bible. They admire its historical significance. However, this respect does not translate into engagement. This pervasive lack of knowledge is the definition of low your Bible IQ score . We must confront this reality and ask ourselves why we treat this sacred text with such distance.

Your Bible IQ Score and the Common Confusion About Death

We see this confusion play out in public discourse. When referencing the tragic death of National Guard member Sarah Beckstrom, reportedly killed by an Afghan refugee, President Donald Trump stated, “She is looking down at us right now.” This common condolence, however, highlights a significant question of belief.

The statement reflects a popular belief, but it does not align with the Bible’s own clear teaching on the state of the dead. Even President Trump appears unaware of where the spirit of Sarah has gone, according to Scripture. Consequently, this common confusion reveals how critical it is to check your Bible IQ Score against the text itself.

The Dead Knows Nothing

Here is what the Bible explicitly says regarding death and the spirit, challenging the notion of active consciousness immediately after death:

  • Ecclesiastes 9:5: “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten.”
  • Psalm 146:4: “When his breath departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.”
  • Ecclesiastes 12:7: “Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.”

Why did President Trump say that Sarah is “looking down at us right now”? A correct understanding of your Bible IQ Score acknowledges that the physical body returns to the dust. Furthermore, the spirit of Sarah Beckstrom has returned to God who gave it, awaiting the promised resurrection (John 6:39, 40, 44, 54). Therefore, she is not actively observing the living. This discrepancy proves that many people confuse cultural tradition with scriptural truth.


An open Bible resting on a table scattered with dried leaves, symbolizing neglect and lack of engagement that contribute to a low Bible IQ Score.
An open Bible with scattered dried leaves nearby, reflecting how neglect and disinterest can lead to a declining Bible IQ Score.

Achieving Your Bible IQ Score is a Freedom Won by Fire

Is your Bible IQ Score low? We are privileged to live in an age where we have the freedom to read the Bible. This freedom is a sharp contrast to the “dark ages,” when those who sought to teach and print it were persecuted. This freedom means we should possess a much higher level of biblical understanding today. Yet, we often do not.

This situation raises a difficult question of gratitude. If people once died so we could access the Bible, should we not treat that text with far greater attention? Let us re-examine the history of that struggle and commit to deeper reading when the Bible is now free for us to read.

Bible Reading Persecution But Should Not Be

Open Bible reading was, in fact, persecuted by fire. In discussions about religion and violence, it is often assumed that sacred texts themselves promote repression or punishment for dissent. The Old Testament is frequently cited in this regard, usually in passing and rarely with close attention to what it actually says. Yet, a careful reading leads to a different conclusion.

The Old Testament never instructs believers to punish, imprison, or execute those who translate, teach, or distribute God’s word. On the contrary, it repeatedly commands that Scripture be spoken aloud, taught to children, and made accessible to the entire community. Consequently, the later execution of Bible translators was not obedience to biblical law. It was a historical development shaped by church–state power, institutional insecurity, and political control. Understanding this difference matters, not only for interpreting the past but for assessing how Scripture is treated in the present.

Your Bible IQ Score and the Truth About Persecution

The persecution of Bible readers was a human development, not a divine command. The Old Testament, the foundational text for the church, required open, not restricted, access to God’s word. Understanding this history is fundamental to your Bible IQ score.

The Old Testament Commands Open Access, Not Restriction

From its earliest foundations, the Old Testament assumes that God’s law is meant to be known. It is not presented as secret knowledge for a religious elite. Instead, God gives it to an entire people, not to a specialist class.

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In Deuteronomy, Moses speaks to Israel as a whole, addressing families rather than specialists. He directs them, “These words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children… when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way” (Deuteronomy 6:6–7). The setting is ordinary life. Instruction happens in conversation, repetition, and daily routines. This command makes the family the primary school of your Bible literacy score.

The Bible To Be Read Publicly

This expectation extends beyond the household. Every seven years, the law was to be read publicly during the Feast of Tabernacles. The audience was deliberately inclusive: “Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 31:10–13). Children, foreigners, and those without formal status were all expected to listen and learn.

Political power did not alter this principle. Israel’s king was required to write his own copy of the law and read it continually, “that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren” (Deuteronomy 17:18–19). Authority was subordinated to Scripture, not reinforced by restricting access to it. Nowhere in these commands is there any hint that Scripture should be concealed, controlled, or filtered through a single institution. It was meant to be heard, understood, and obeyed by the community as a whole.

Did the God of the Old Testament Punish Your Bible IQ Score?

The Mosaic Law does contain severe penalties, including capital punishment. These laws, however, are specific and limited. They address actions that directly threatened Israel’s covenant with God or destroyed the moral structure of the community.

Religious offenses included idolatry, blasphemy, and false prophecy that deliberately led people away from God (Deuteronomy 13:1–11; Leviticus 24:16). Moral crimes included murder, adultery, incest, and violent rebellion (Exodus 21:12; Leviticus 20:10–16).

Old Testament Servants Oppressed For Speaking God’s Words

Equally important is what the law does not mention. There is no prohibition against translating Scripture. No penalty from God for teaching Scripture. No law condemnation for making God’s word understandable to ordinary people. The later charge of “unauthorized translation” has no parallel in Old Testament law. It belongs to a different historical context, one shaped by institutional authority rather than covenantal obedience.

Truth-tellers under pressure consistently received God’s moral verdict. When individuals suffer for speaking God’s word, the Old Testament consistently presents them as victims of injustice rather than criminals. Jeremiah was imprisoned, beaten, and accused of treason for delivering messages that challenged political leaders (Jeremiah 37–38) Elijah fled after confronting royal power (1 Kings 19:1–3). The psalmist voices the experience of those silenced for righteousness: “How long must Your servant endure?” (Psalm 119:84). In each case, Scripture assigns moral blame to those who persecute, not those who speak. Silencing God’s word is portrayed as corruption, not faithfulness.

The Persecution of Bible Crusaders: Historical Witnesses to Your Bible IQ Score

When absolute power was afraid of the truth, it broke the pattern of open access. The execution of Bible translators in medieval and early modern Europe represents a clear break from this biblical pattern. Over time, church authorities developed legal systems that treated doctrinal dissent and vernacular translation as threats to social order. Secular rulers enforced these laws and justified them as necessary for unity and stability.

This was not Mosaic Law revived. It was a new system designed to protect institutional authority. To challenge official interpretations of Scripture was increasingly treated as political rebellion. Translation shifted Scripture from clerical control into the hands of ordinary people. The printing press multiplied its reach. Both developments weakened monopolies of interpretation and were resisted accordingly.

Bible Truths Crusades Punished

The cost of this resistance can be traced through individual lives, known as the Brave Bible Crusaders:

  • John Wycliffe (14th Century): He promoted the English Bible and argued that Scripture should be accessible to all believers. Though he died of natural causes, church authorities later declared him a heretic. Consequently, his remains were exhumed and burned, scattering his ashes in a profound act of condemnation.
  • Jan Hus (15th Century): He followed Wycliffe’s example, preaching Scripture in Czech and calling for reform. The Council of Constance condemned him, and he was burned at the stake in 1415.
  • William Tyndale (16th Century): He translated the New Testament directly from Greek and Hebrew, bypassing the Latin Vulgate. He was condemned and executed in 1536 in the Netherlands.
  • John Rogers (16th Century): He helped publish the Matthew’s Bible and was the first Protestant martyr burned under Queen Mary I in 1555.

Over Control of Scripture

Their crime was not biblical disobedience. It was challenging control over Scripture. Their suffering guaranteed your Bible literacy freedom. God’s moral verdict, described by the prophets, consistently describes God’s priorities in language that cuts against institutional violence. “To do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) is presented as a requirement, not an aspiration. Leaders who misuse authority are condemned.

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God speaks against shepherds who scatter and harm the people (Jeremiah 23:1–4). Care for outsiders and learners is commanded, not suppression (Deuteronomy 10:19). Burning people to defend authority stands in direct contradiction to this moral vision.

Your Bible IQ Score and the Cultural Paradox Today

A freedom won at high cost exists for us today. In much of the world, reading the Bible carries no legal risk. That freedom exists largely because of the efforts of reformers such as Wycliffe, Hus, Tyndale, and Rogers. Their work dismantled barriers that once kept Scripture out of reach.

Yet, freedom does not guarantee engagement. The Bible is now widely available, inexpensive, and translated into everyday language. Still, it often remains unread. This raises an uncomfortable question: If people once died to make Scripture accessible, why do so many now neglect it today?

The Book Almost Everyone Owns — and Hardly Anyone Reads

Walk into most homes in America and a Bible is likely to be present. It may sit on a shelf, a bedside table, or a coffee table. Many households own several copies. Yet surveys consistently show that biblical knowledge remains low, even among those who identify as Christians.

This is not because the Bible is rejected. It is because it is rarely read with consistency or depth. Possession has not translated into understanding. The result is a cultural paradox: a book that is publicly revered, frequently quoted, and largely unfamiliar.

The Quiet Loss of Your Bible IQ Score and Cultural Coherence

Biblical illiteracy carries little social stigma. Few would admit ignorance in literature or history, but unfamiliarity with Scripture is often treated as normal, even within churches. For some, the Bible feels intimidating. For others, it appears outdated or disconnected from modern life. Many assume it should be left to clergy or scholars. The consequence is a gradual loss of cultural literacy.

Society Ambiguity on Scripture

When a society no longer understands a text that shaped its moral and legal language, it also loses the ability to recognize its own references. Confusion is reinforced by how the Bible is presented. In both academic and religious settings, it is often treated primarily as a historical artifact or a collection of religious ideas rather than a coherent message.

Some leaders describe large portions of Scripture as symbolic or culturally limited. Others urge readers to take it “seriously but not literally,” without clarifying what that means in practice. For ordinary readers, such ambiguity discourages serious engagement.

Why Engagement Matters: Your Bible IQ Score as a Moral Compass

The Bible claims a different role for itself. It does not present itself as a scientific manual. It addresses meaning, purpose, justice, and responsibility. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105). Understanding, it says, is not restricted to experts. “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (Psalm 119:130).

The Bible remains one of the most influential texts in Western history. Its language echoes through literature, law, and public life. Yet its influence weakens when it is no longer read. The issue is not access. The issue is attention. In an age saturated with information, the Bible still makes a simple claim: wisdom begins with understanding how life is meant to be lived. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 9:10).

Whether one accepts that claim or not, a culture that no longer understands one of its foundational texts risks losing more than religious literacy. It risks losing a shared language for meaning, responsibility, and hope.

Practical Steps to Increase Your Bible IQ Score

Do you want to raise your Bible literacy from a passive habit to an active pursuit? You must begin with intentional steps. Here is a practical, step-by-step guide to help you move beyond passive ownership to genuine understanding.

Step 1: Commit to Consistent Reading

Start small, but start regularly. A major reason for low your Bible literacy is inconsistency. Do not aim to read a whole book in one sitting. Instead, commit to reading for just ten minutes every day. This small daily discipline builds momentum.

Furthermore, use a modern, readable translation like the NKJV, which balances accuracy with accessibility. Choose a time and place that allows for reflection, such as the first thing in the morning or the last thing at night. The habit of daily engagement is more important than the amount you read.

Step 2: Grasp the Biblical Narrative

Understand the Bible as a single, unfolding story, not a collection of isolated verses. The Bible tells the story of God’s relationship with humanity, moving from Creation to Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Begin by reading the story books: Genesis, Exodus, the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), and Acts.

Identify the central message of each book. Every book points to Jesus Christ as the climax of the story. Recognizing the covenantal framework—God’s promises to Abraham, Moses, and David—will dramatically improve your Bible literacy.

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Step 3: Seek Context, Not Just Comfort

Do not read the Bible solely for inspirational quotes or comfort. Read it to understand the author’s original intent. Who wrote it? Who was the original audience? What was the historical and cultural situation? For example, understanding that the letters of Paul were written to address specific problems in specific churches drastically changes how you interpret his instructions. Use study Bibles, commentaries, and quality online resources to find this context. This critical step shifts your Bible literacy from emotional reading to intellectual understanding.

FAQ About Your Bible IQ Score

1. What exactly is the meaning of “Your Bible IQ Score”?

Your Bible IQ Score refers to your ability to read, understand, and accurately interpret the Bible within its historical, literary, and theological context. It goes beyond simply reading the words; it involves grasping the overall narrative, key doctrines, and the relationships between the Old and New Testaments.

2. Why is the Bible considered a “dangerous book” that required persecution?

The Bible was considered dangerous by the established religious authorities (the Church and its rulers) not because of its content, but because of its accessibility. When translated into the common language (the vernacular), it allowed ordinary people to interpret God’s word for themselves, directly challenging the Church’s monopoly on interpretation and its institutional power.

3. Does the Bible really say the dead “know nothing”?

Yes, Ecclesiastes 9:5 explicitly states, “the dead know nothing.” This verse, along with others (like Psalm 146:4), indicates that in the moment of death, consciousness, thought, and reward cease, and the dead await the resurrection of the just and the unjust.22 The common idea that the dead are “looking down” is a tradition, not a consistent biblical teaching.

4. How can I improve my Bible understanding if I find it too confusing?

Start with the simplest books: the Gospel of John, the book of Acts, and the book of James. Use a study Bible that includes notes and cross-references. Furthermore, consider joining a Bible study group. The key to improving your Bible literacy is consistency and surrounding yourself with resources that explain the context.

5. Did the Old Testament Law truly command the persecution of Bible readers?

Absolutely not. The Old Testament Law commanded the public and continuous reading and teaching of Scripture to all people—men, women, children, and foreigners (Deuteronomy 31:10–13). Capital punishment was reserved for specific moral and religious crimes like idolatry and murder, not for making God’s word accessible.

6. What is the difference between “spirit returning to God” and “looking down on us”?

The spirit returning to God in Ecclesiastes 12:7 means the life force, or the breath of life given by God, ceases to sustain the body and goes back to its divine source. This does not imply consciousness. Conversely, “looking down on us” implies the person’s conscious soul is actively observing the living, which is contradicted by the statement in Ecclesiastes 9:5 that the dead “know nothing.”

7. Why is active reading of the Bible more important now than ever before?

Active reading is crucial because we have full access to Scripture, a privilege previous generations died to secure. Furthermore, in a world of conflicting information and moral confusion, the Bible offers a singular, coherent moral compass and narrative that shaped Western civilization. Increasing your Bible literacy provides grounding, context, and a clear moral framework.

Level Up Your Bible IQ Score

Do not let the sacrifices of past generations be in vain. The heroes of the faith fought tyranny, fire, and political power to ensure your Bible literacy freedom. They died so that you might hold the words of life in your own hands, translated into your common tongue.

You must act now. The understanding you seek awaits you within its pages.

Stop treating the Bible as a cultural artifact you own but neglect. Stop relying on hearsay or popular opinion for the truth about life, death, and God. Commit today to reading the Bible daily—a small, consistent act that honors the high price paid for its freedom.

 Raise your Bible IQ Score. Your Eternal Life Depend On It.

Read also: Why You Are Not Yet Born Again Christian: Biblical Guide

 

 

 


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